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De-regulation of the host response to infection can lead to systemic inflammatory conditions such as sepsis, where tissue damage and organ failure result from excessive pro-inflammatory gene expression upon bacterial invasion. However, it remains unclear how the mechanisms that keep the immune response in check fail. Dr Piccinini will discuss a novel role for the extracellular matrix glycoprotein tenascin-C in regulating immunity triggered in response to infection. Post-transcriptional control of cytokine synthesis via induction of miR-155 by tenascin-C constitutes a unique means of fine tuning the immune response.